Having never met you before, and having never been on a trip like the one we were undertaking... I was naturally very unsure of just what to expect. Although, as I mentioned to you prior to us making the arrangements, I did have some dinghy experience... this was to be my first time on-board a 30+ foot boat. You were very welcoming to me from the moment we met in Portland, and never once did you make me feel unwanted while aboard your vessel... even during the less than favorable weather we encountered, when it would of been completely acceptable for tempers and frustrations to flare up.

While on-board, underway, or tied up at mooring... you proved to be exceptionally knowledgeable. Any questions that I had, whether engine or rigging related, you had a precise and immediate answer for. You were not shy about giving me instruction and tasks to perform, and doing so in a way that allowed me to learn and progress quickly. Your thorough knowledge of the boat and it's operations proved to be the learning environment that I was looking for. I was surprised at how quickly you trusted putting me behind the wheel, and how comfortable and unintimidating it actually was.

Being aboard the Kelly IV was an overall great experience. I walked away with an understanding of how to work the lines and rigging to prep and raise/lower the mainsail and the jib. Knowledge of how to work the radio and read the various information on the radar/GPS equipment. As well as proper procedures for navigating channels, docking, mooring, anchoring, and general harbor etiquette. I got first hand experience dealing with the onset of sea sickness and foul weather, and how to go about the daily chores necessary for maintaining a clean and safe boat. Leaving Kelly IV behind, I feel comfortable and better prepared to crew again.

Thank you for the positive experience, and good company.

-Kip

Kip Martin, Traveled all 48 contiguous states in the United States before the age of 28.